


I Know You Know

by esmereldagrace



Series: 'Train? What train?' [7]
Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Married Life, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 23:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14224017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esmereldagrace/pseuds/esmereldagrace
Summary: "Yeah, Papa--you gotta go! It's so much fun!" Freddie insisted, making Reid stand up. "Daddy can help you skate like he helped me! Can't you, Daddy?""Daddy can definitely help Papa skate, I'll hold his hands and everything," Luke said in agreement with the sweetest smile. But Reid knew better.





	I Know You Know

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! And I'm back with more ridiculousness from the life of these two. I just can't seem to stop? Writing this has been my escape for the past couple of months, but I've promised myself I want to be more consistent with posting fic because I love it so much, so maybe you'll see more of me. :) 
> 
> So onto more important things! This fic is set around three years in the future from the previous fic, Freddie is around seven years old too! You'll notice some things have changed, and some not so much. It's just another day or two in the life of these two boys who I just can't seem to ever let go of. It is unbetaed so any mistakes are all mine. I hope that you enjoy, and thank you for reading this monster of a thing if you do.
> 
> Title of the fic comes [from this gorgeous song of the same name](https://youtu.be/7R6RGsB67zA) by Ásgeir. 
> 
> Kudos and/or comments would be very much appreciated! ♥

 

Reid wasn't looking forward to this. Not at all.

He hadn't done this in a long time, and it was safe to say he was nervous about it. Which wasn't something he was going to admit to anyone but himself.

Reid had a reputation to uphold after all.

But for now, he was happy to sit on the sidelines and watch Luke, Freddie and Jacob skate around the outdoor ice rink. They'd travelled into Chicago for a day out, and now that Christmas and New Years were over, the city had almost divested itself of the holiday celebrations.

But not quite.

Which was why Reid hoped that Luke wouldn't drag him out onto the ice rink that still hadn't been taken away, but he had a feeling that he wasn't going to be able to avoid the ice for much longer.

"Hey, here you go--your coffee order always makes the barista look at me like I'm weird."

Reid smirked and took the coffee cup from Dev who'd tagged along for the trip with Jacob in tow. "You look weird so I'm sure it's not much of a surprise."

Dev sat down with next to him and glared. "Shut up, I hate you."

Reid touched his coffee to Dev's and laughed, ignoring the jibe. "Thanks for this, I didn't get much sleep last night and two cups of coffee did nothing for me this morning."

Dev frowned, adjusting his scarf as he did. "What kept you up?"

"This little one," Reid said, pointed to the stroller where Alejandra, his and Luke's one and a half year old daughter was fast asleep, wrapped up all warm and cosy.

Once they had filed their adoption papers and had been approved, they'd had to wait over two years to have a child placed with them. They had been completely open minded, happy to adopt an older child or a baby, because all they had wanted to do was give a child a home. But the wait had been an arduous one, Luke wondering and worrying if it would happen at all.

Casey had been a big help during those times of doubt, his advice and reassurance meant a lot to them both. He'd had to wait a long time before he'd been picked to be a father to his six year old daughter Alice, and seeing how happily Casey had settled into being a parent, Luke and Reid both knew their time would come soon.

So, they stayed positive.                                                  

But when five month old Alejandra, with a tuft of dark hair on her head and the sweetest most beautiful smile, was introduced to them for the first time, Reid and Luke both knew that she was meant to be their daughter. They knew they would take her home, and most importantly--that they'd been lucky enough to be chosen by her.

Their wait had been worth it.

Alejandra had fit into their family like she'd always been there, like she'd always _meant_ to be there. Freddie had fallen in love with her as soon as they'd met, fitting into his big brother role with ease and they became attached to each other instantly.

They were the best brother-sister duo around, getting into mischief, but always playing together without fighting. Reid would wait until they were teenagers to see how long the peace lasted. He predicted everything would change by then. Peggy became a part of their gang too, and their house was fuller, louder, and happier.

And of course, it was hard work.

Managing two kids and a dog wasn't the easiest of tasks, but both he and Luke weren't ones to back down from a challenge. Their family had become just that little bigger, and there was all the more love between them than there had ever been.

"What happened? Nightmares?" Dev asked.

Reid drank some of his coffee, and shook his head, watching Alejandra sleep soundly without a care for the shouting and city noises around her. She could sleep through anything...if only she would sleep through the night.

"It's just a phase she's going through, Dev. Luke's been tired after his book tour, and I wanted him to rest so I've been waking up with her instead. I think she's just been in a bad mood lately."

Alejandra really was going through a strange phase, waking up every hour or two hours, just wanting to know she wasn't alone. It had happened a couple of nights a week. But last night, Reid took it upon himself to bring her back into their bed. However, as soon as Reid had fallen asleep once _she'd_ fallen asleep, she'd tapped at his face an hour or so later to remind him that she was right there, wide awake and wanting some attention.

She'd eventually fallen asleep at four am all the way till seven that morning, but even after that long stretch, Reid felt more tired that he usually did.

Dev shrugged, agreeing and looking out on the ice. "I guess I missed out on all that with Jacob, but who knows if I'll get to do that in the future."

"What do you mean?" Reid assumed that with Dev and Katie's wedding coming up in the Spring, they would've had this talk already. "She doesn't want children?"

Dev sighed, his breath visible in the cold air. "It's not her, it's me."

"Don't you want children? Because, that's okay, too. I shouldn't have assumed that either of you would want any."

Dev looked conflicted, upset, and it wasn't like him whatsoever. "It's okay, Reid. I do, I really do want kids...I just don't think I'll be a good Dad. It's not like I had the greatest role model growing up."

Reid knew about the absent Dad situation Dev had grown up with. His mother and father had divorced when he was three, and so his father never around in a way a young boy needed a father. He would disappear for months at a time and come back when money was short. It carried on through his teens, until Dev had been old enough to cut off contact himself, which was soon after his mother had died.

But once in a while his father would reach out anyway, wanting to have contact but eventually disappointing Dev when it always came down to financial help. Dev wasn't happy to be used, but loved his father somewhere deep down enough to not deny him.

There was only so much Reid could say, but he knew Dev needed some reassurance right now about his anxieties. He stole a quick glance down at Alejandra, who was starting to stir, and he knew it wasn't long till she'd wake up.

Reid knocked his shoulder into Dev's looking back out onto the ice rink where Jacob was happily skating around on his own.

"You do realise you're a father already, don't you?"

Dev turned to look at him, frown back in place. "What?"

Reid rolled his eyes, knowing that maybe explaining this to Dev wouldn't be easy. "Come on, you're not that stupid. You've become a father figure to Jacob ever since you started a relationship with Katie. Can't you see how much that kid loves you?"

It finally clicked with Dev, but shook his head in complete disagreement. "But it's different, Reid--he's older and he's had Katie who has brought him up to be as wonderful as he is, not me."

"And you don't think you have any influence on him?"

"No, not really."

"Jesus, Dev--do you really not realise that he looks up to you? He's so inspired by all the good you do that all he does is talk about you. He's so proud to know you."

"I didn't ever say that he doesn't care about me, Reid. I just don't ever want to take the place of the father he never had. It's not something I can ever do."

"Did I ever say that you'd take his father's place?"

Reid caught Dev's gaze and hoped he was truly listening.

"What you are is another father figure in his life, someone who has already proven that he has what it takes to be a great role model to any kid. You're kind, you're a great listener, you have a big heart but know when things aren't right and are quick to fix it, which makes you wonderful at your job, and those qualities are pretty good to have if you're a Dad. And Dev...you love him, and he loves you--you treat him like he's your son. And now, I'm going to stop talking because I'm not good at these kind of pep talks, you should've talked to Luke first. He's much better at this than I am."

Dev huffed a laugh and knocked his shoulder back into Reid's. "You're not so bad, don't put yourself down. I thought you were a genius, good at everything."

Reid took a sip of his coffee and made a face. "Of course I'm a genius."

Dev laughed some more. "Sure you are, and look--I get what you're saying, and thank you for saying it. But I can't help but be scared. This is big, I mean--marrying Katie is one thing, but making sure that Jacob accepts me as a part of his life is scary, I don't wanna get it wrong. And just thinking about having another kid and not messing that one up scares the crap out of me."

These feelings and thoughts weren't unfamiliar to Reid in any way whatsoever, and he laughed to himself, knowing that as scary as it was, things would fall into place in their own way. Just like they had for him. He hadn't ever imagined being married with two kids after all he'd been through, but that was life.

"I didn't have the best role model either. My parents died when I was young, and I might've had my uncle but he wasn't exactly the father figure I needed. I was worried I wouldn't be good enough either because I had no one to emulate. Do you think I wasn't scared when decided to have Freddie? When Alejandra came into our lives? This stuff is insanely hard, but if you have the right person by your side, you help each other through it all--it all worked out in the end for me."

Dev still looked unsure, but somewhat determined. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Reid said. "Remind me to tell you about the first week of Freddie's life, it was harder and much scarier than Luke and I had ever anticipated, despite our doubts about both of our upbringings. But we got through it, and so will you. You're a better man than your father will ever be, Dev--and you're already a good father to Jacob. Believe me when I say that."

It took a couple of seconds of silence, but Dev finally nodded, scrubbing at his face and eyes that had noticeably gotten wet. Reid hadn't noticed the tension in Dev until it was gone, but it was clear this had been eating him up inside.

"Yeah, yeah--thanks for that," he finally said, wrapping an arm around Reid and kissing his cheek with a cheeky grin.

"Oh dear god," Reid mumbled, pushing Dev off of him as he cackled, and drank some more of his coffee. This heart to heart thing was definitely not something he was comfortable with. "Don't ever do that again, and you have to talk to Katie about this. You have to keep communicating with each other, she's not a mind reader, and neither are you."

"Yes, _Dad_ \--I will, I promise."

Before Reid could retort in any way, a loud call for him had him turn his attention to the stroller. Alejandra was awake, and wanted some attention.

"Hey monkey, finally awake?"

Reid put his coffee cup by his feet and took the thick blanket off of her, giving her a big smile. "Are you hungry?" he asked, lifting her up and out of the stroller, settling her in his lap and hugging her to his chest, giving her cheek a kiss. She'd been wrapped up in at least a hundred layers by Luke, and could hardly move. But regardless, she looked like a little baby polar bear and very cute for it.

Alejandra nodded, rubbing at her eyes and taking in her surroundings. She was still sleep warm, cheeks a ruddy red, but she looked well rested.

"Heyyy, sweetheart," Dev cooed and made a funny face, making her laugh. "Do you want me to grab something from her bag?" Dev asked Reid.

"Yeah, please--just grab her water bottle and there should be a box of fruit in there, too."

Alejandra was quick to grab the water and guzzle it down, but before they could break into the fruit, Luke, Freddie and Jacob were back and hungry, demanding to eat now that they'd enough of the skating.

"Hey, Jelly!" Freddie squealed. Jacob blew a raspberry on her hand making Alejandra laugh, and Freddie growled playfully making her laugh some more. It was a nickname that Freddie had given her after falling in love with how her chubby cheeks would jiggle whenever she moved, and it had stuck.

"My baby is awake!" Luke grinned, bending down and giving Alejandra a kiss to her cheek and nose. "You look like you had a good nap, Allie."

"Except her father is feeling very tired after staying up with her most of the night," Reid said nonchalantly, holding onto Alejandra as if she could save him. "I think it would be best if I didn't go on the ice. What if there's a horrible accident?"

Luke snorted a laugh, Dev laughing along. "Yeah, babe--you're not getting out of this. I have booked us some time, and your skates are ready and waiting. Come on, let's go."

"Yeah, Papa--you gotta go! It's so much fun!" Freddie insisted, making Reid stand up. "Daddy can help you skate like he helped me! Can't you, Daddy?"

"Daddy can definitely help Papa skate, I'll hold his hands and everything," Luke said in agreement with the sweetest smile. But Reid knew better.

"Give Allie to me, and I'll take the boys to get some hot cocoa. That sound good, boys?" Dev asked, dragging both boys into a side hug.

"Yeah!" came the resounding agreement from them both.

Reid looked at them, and back to a smug Luke with his stupidly cute beanie on his head, sighing dejectedly. "Ugh, fine--just feed her the fruit, would you?"

"Yes, sir!" Dev saluted, taking Alejandra from him, who didn't make a fuss, and shooed them away as the boys started grabbing some snacks from the bag they'd packed earlier that morning.  

There was unfortunately no getting out of this whatsoever, so Reid put his hand in Luke's outstretched one and let him drag him away to his inevitable death.

"Stop pouting," Luke told him as they grabbed their rented skates from the desk. "Trying to look cute to get outta this won't work."

"I am not cute."

Luke huffed a sigh, and resisted the urge to laugh. He kissed Reid on his forehead instead and helped Reid get the skates on. "You're always cute to me."

"You're intolerable, and I'm not a baby--I can put my own skates on."

Luke was obviously very amused at Reid's plight, and let him go without another word, getting his own skates on instead. Reid tightened the laces as tight as he could and hoped he remembered how to skate. It had been, let's just say a very long time since he'd been on the ice. Freddie wasn't kidding that he'd need a helping hand.

"Ready, my love?" Luke grinned, standing up and readjusting his scarf.

"I guess so," Reid grumbled back.

Glancing up, Reid saw Luke biting his lip, his smile from just moments ago gone.

"What's wrong?"

It took a couple of moments for Luke to answer. "We don't have to go on the ice if you don't want to, I don't want to force you."

"You're not forcing me." Reid stood up, and wanting to ease Luke's misplaced guilt, dragged him close by his scarf with a smile and gave him a kiss. "I'm just worried about it, but I know I have you, so I'll be okay."

Luke pouted some more, hands finding Reid's on his scarf. "Don't try and pacify me--I know I can be stubborn but I don't want to make you do something you're scared about doing."

"I married you, it's too late for that," Reid quipped, earning him a swat to the chest and a laugh from Luke, which had been his goal all along.

"Ugh, I hate you. Come on."

Luke held both his hands as they got onto the ice, Reid finding his balance almost immediately. He wasn't so bad at this. He skated in front of Reid for the moment, and slowly skated backwards, still holding onto his hands.

"You okay? Let's stay close to the edge for now, the trick is to keep on moving."

Reid couldn't quite stop looking down at his feet, but forced himself to look up and give Luke a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, just keep holding on. I don't want to fall and have my hands slashed off by a skater who isn't looking where they're going."

Luke burst out laughing. "Holy crap, Reid--you tell me I'm a drama queen, you're even worse and so morbid. That wouldn't ever happen."

"Ever? I'm sure it's happened before."

"My love, my darling, that hasn't happened to anyone I know. But yes, there can be accidents, but I would never let anything happen to you," Luke promised, blowing him a kiss just because.

The sincerity and love clear on Luke's face, his hands holding his, was all Reid needed to finally relax. It wasn't that Reid didn't trust him, not at all, he assumed that it had to do with the fact that he'd been pent up with stress and anxiety for a lot longer than today.

Having Luke away on his book tour mixed with some foundation work for just under a month wasn't something that Reid had ever felt would leave him feeling stressed. It wasn't in his nature--he was Reid Oliver, he could deal with anything. But this time around, something didn't quite click. And if therapy with Luke had ever taught him anything, it was to keep communicating, no matter how uncomfortable it got talking about his feelings.

So Reid did exactly that, and Luke didn't need to ask too many questions to figure out what was wrong. They hadn't been apart for so long for a while, so this had been a huge change for them all, including the kids.

And it honestly all boiled down to one thing.

He'd missed Luke.

He missed Luke like he would a limb. He missed waking up to him, coming home to him, eating with him, and holding him. He loved seeing the way Luke loved the children, to see his eyes fill up every single night when Freddie would say 'I love you' before bed, to watch Alejandra babble to him, and Luke would pretend they were having the most important conversation in the world.

God, he had just missed him, as had Freddie and Alejandra.

Yes, he'd become the sappy, romantic guy he promised himself that he would never become, but he blamed Luke for that. However, Luke just happened to bring it out of Reid in ways that were just for him, and he was...okay with that. There were less than a handful of people Reid felt he could be vulnerable around, and Luke was one of them.

"What are you looking at? Everything okay?"

Reid hadn't realised that he'd been staring so long. So long that he hadn't realised that Luke had let go of one hand and Reid was pretty much skating on his own.

"I missed you," Reid said, wanting to be honest, because there was no need to hide anything from his husband.

Luke's frown of concern turned into the brightest smile that would rival the sun. "I missed you, too--so much. I don't ever want to go on trips like that on my own."

"I wish we could've been with you too."

"I know, Reid."

"I would've happily joined you if it had worked for me or the kids."

"I know that."

Luke had them stop on the ice, and he skated closer to give Reid a quick kiss. "I also know that you love me, and I've already told Hannah that if I have to do another book tour, I want to be able to choose when we go and to keep the trip shorter. And next time I have any foundation business, I'm _never_ mixing it with my writing stuff--it's just too much."

Reid realised what all of that sounded like, and it made him cringe.

"God, are we that co-dependent? When did we become one of those couples? Please tell me we're not like that."

Luke laughed. "I don't think we are--we've been on holiday separately with friends before and we were fine. You've been away for work too, and we've survived. I guess this time it was just for too long."

"Too long," Reid agreed, and Luke did too, giving him another quick kiss.

"Now, come on," Luke skated backwards, holding onto one of Reid's hands. "Let's get you skating, and you can tell me what you were talking to Dev about--unless it's too private then that's okay I don't want to know."

Reid couldn't help but laugh. "You are so nosy."

"Not nosy," Luke scrunched his nose up, carefully skated to stand beside Reid and tucked his arm through his own, urging them to move forward. "Just curious, he didn't look okay since we picked him up this morning, and I was worried."

It wasn't as if Reid wasn't going to tell Luke about this anyway, and so he told him. "It's nothing to worry about. He was feeling anxious about whether he'd be a good Dad or not, especially if him and Katie have kids in the future."

"But isn't he like a dad to Jacob already? He's so good with him, and it's clear to see how much they love each other."

Reid knew that he loved Luke for a reason. "That's exactly what I told him, too. He's worried he might become like his absent father."

"Oh," Luke sighed sadly. "He is such a wonderful guy, so caring, kind, and so compassionate--nothing like his father at all. I'm sad he feels that way, but I know how he feels. No matter how awful and absent the parent, it's always kinda scary wondering whether you'd take on any of their traits."

"But I think deep down he knows he'd never go down that route, he just needs to believe in that. I told him he needs to talk to Katie about this, and I'm sure she'll tell him the same."

"Of course she will, and I'm sure she'll reassure him just how much her and Jacob both love him. Their little family is the cutest around."

"And what? We're not cute?" Reid pretended to be offended.

"I thought you didn't like to be called cute," Luke said with a laugh.

"I can make some exceptions."

"Uh huh, sure," Luke laughed some more before waggling his eyebrows. "And now, my cutie pie--you think you can go solo?"

Reid hadn't realised that they'd done a couple of circuits of the rink already, and as steady as he felt on his feet, he was okay to keep holding on and staying close.

"How about we stick together instead?"

Luke smiled and tightened his grip on Reid as he smiled softly back at him.

"Yeah, let's just stick together."

 

***

 

"Freddie, please pull your sleeves up before they end up in the ketchup," Reid told him.

Freddie put the fry he had almost eaten back onto his plate, and pushed the sleeves of his sweater up before diving back into them.

The group had taken it upon themselves to gorge themselves on some junk food at a favourite diner after a little shopping. Burgers and fries and milkshakes were being gorged on, all in moderation of course, but it was the kind of food Reid thought he deserved after surviving the ice skating.

With Alejandra in Luke's lap sat next to Dev, Reid had both Jacob and Freddie sat on his side of the table, wolfing down their food as if they hadn't eaten in days.

"I know I should feel guilty about eating junk three months before the wedding, but like, I really don't," Dev said, taking a bite of his burger.

Reid shared an amused look with Luke who was sat opposite him. "You don't think Katie would kill you if that suit that has been tailor made for you won't fit on the day?"

"Nahh, she loves me--also I've already made a plan with my trainer if I do gain any weight."

"Of course you have," Luke said with a laugh, handing Alejandra another fry to munch on. "Which reminds me actually, Reid and I still need to go for our suit fittings."

Reid made a face. "Oh god, I thought we were done with that."

"Nuh uh," Luke grinned, "those were just the Indian ones. I just want to make sure that we have a suit that fits and looks good for the reception."

"I have plenty of suits at home, which don't need any fittings, because they _fit_. It's not like I've gained any weight in the last ten years."

"Jeez, why're you so grumpy?" Dev asked, slurping his milkshake.

"I think it's time for a nap," Luke quipped, letting Alejandra slide off of his lap and stand on the spare chair next to him instead, her eyes on the basket of fries in the middle of the table.

Reid knew there was no point trying to argue, and it didn't help that Dev and Luke both knew how to rile him up.

So he ignored them instead, even if he could tell they were trying not to laugh, and moved the fries away from Alejandra's outstretched hand, handing her a bottle of her juice instead. She pouted about it for a second, before drinking from it anyway. She'd had more than enough fries to eat, and she'd eaten her own lunch of some egg salad he'd made that morning too. Alejandra and Freddie were identical in that way, they loved their food and it sometimes felt like they were never quite full.

Reid felt a knock to his ankle under the table, and glanced up to see Luke smiling softly his way, a silent apology that wasn't needed. And so Reid knocked back at Luke's ankle with a smile of his own.

"Papa, can I get a napkin, please?"

Freddie's mouth was lined with ketchup, and Reid thought it best to help clean him up. He wiped at his mouth as Freddie wiped his hands, when a voice he hadn't heard for a very long time called out his name.

It took Reid's brain a couple of seconds to kick into gear, and when it did, he couldn't quite believe his eyes when he saw who it was.

"Jasper?"

"Wow, Reid. It's been years, huh?"

Jasper had taken the words right out of Reid's mouth. He chanced a quick glance Luke's way who, thank the powers above, had already clued into who this was and had been able to mask his shock in ways Reid couldn't quite manage.

There was something strange about meeting an ex-boyfriend when you're sat with your husband and family. And it wasn't a situation that Reid would've ever thought he'd find himself in, but here it was.

Reid stood up and shook hands with Jasper, who unsurprisingly dragged him into a hug, patting at his back, before pulling away and gripping at his arms to get a good look at him.

"Yeah, I thought it was you, and I had to come over and check to be sure. You're looking good, man--you haven't aged a day."

"I guess you don't look so bad yourself." 

And he didn't.

Jasper still had soft brown hair that fell into curls almost effortlessly, and he was still built with hard muscle with striking blue-gray eyes. But he seemed to have acquired a few more tattoos on his arms that wound down all the way to his wrist, that were visible since the sleeves of his jumper were rolled up to his elbow. There were a few crow's feet around his eyes however, hints of grey in his beard but other than that, still as tall and handsome as he'd been the first time they'd met.

"Has he been this sarcastic this whole time?" Jasper asked to the table.

"Even worse as the years have gone on--we've learnt to handle it though," Luke answered, throwing a wink Reid's way.

Jasper laughed and held out a hand Luke's way which he stood up to shake. "I like this guy already, please tell me you married him, Reid."

Reid held up his hand with a smile and flashed his wedding ring.

Jasper grinned. "Yes, I knew it--that's so great!"

Judging by the very confused look on Dev's face and both Freddie and Jacob staring their way looking equally confused, Reid realised he hadn't introduced Jasper to them, or anyone else to Jasper.

"That's my husband Luke, and this is Jacob, " Reid patted Jacob on the head who waved his 'hello', and then wrapped an arm around Freddie to hug him close, "and this is our son, Freddie. The little one with Luke, is Alejandra, our daughter. And the idiot over there is Dev, him and Jacob are family--and everyone, this is Jasper Quinones, an old friend of mine."

"Holy--yes, Quinny! I knew I recognised you," Dev exclaimed, confusion gone and exuberance in its place. He stood up and shook an amused Jasper's hand. "You used to play for the Bruins, right? You won the Stanley Cup with them, you're a legend! It's so cool to meet you, I'm gonna kill Reid for never telling me he knows you, what the fudge, Reid? And oh my god, I sound so dumb, please ignore me, I'm gonna stop talking."

And Reid had also never envisaged a situation where he'd be faced with his ex-NHL player ex-boyfriend either, one who was stupidly famous too.

They'd met when Jasper played for Dallas and the team had come to a hospital charity event. Most of the team were busy hanging out with each other, but Jasper had made an effort to talk to everyone he could, which Reid found impressive, especially since he knew what he was talking about.

Reid hadn't known about any of the team, or much about hockey, and hadn't even realised Jasper was part of the team until they were introduced. To say Reid was surprised by his knowledge was an understatement, but from the moment they met, they'd had their eye on each other throughout the night.

Things had begun from there...and their one night stand had turned into something more.

It was a year long relationship that they knew they had to hide, and Jasper had always felt guilty about it. Reid would never have asked Jasper to come out for him, and would often tell him the same to reassure him. It didn't help that the locker room and the NHL wasn't the most friendly place to be, especially when it came to someone's sexuality.

So, they dealt with it the best they could, and in some way, Reid's work schedule and Jasper's own meant they weren't likely to be seen anywhere in a compromising position anyway. But it still wasn't the most ideal situation.

They cared for each other deeply, Jasper younger than Reid by a few years, but he was nonetheless just as wise. He was confident, strong and smart--but soft and vulnerable with those who he loved and trusted. Jasper's anxiety got the better of him sometimes, but Reid hoped that he'd helped him to deal with it rather than make it any worse for him.

But Reid and Jasper both knew that their relationship had an expiration date, the hiding and the secrets weren't what either of them wanted. Dallas wasn't exactly the best fit for Jasper either, he'd missed the colder climate of his native Canada, even if his Mexican side soaked up the sun. But it wasn't just the weather that got him down, it was the lack of support from a team that he thought would grow to be his family.

He just didn't fit in.

So when Jasper got traded to the Bruins, it seemed like the most natural way to end their relationship, and there were no hard feelings at the end of it either.

Jasper laughed heartily. "No, please--it's nice to know people still remember me."

"Who wouldn't?" Dev said, eyes wide in admiration. "You're awesome."

"Told you he's an idiot," Reid joked, earning him a glare from Dev and a laugh from everyone else.

Jasper punched lightly at Reid's shoulder and shook his head. "No, not at all--we all like our self-esteem boosted from time to time, Dev seems like the kind of friend I'd like to keep around."

Reid couldn't help but tease Dev. "You can take him away whenever, we'd be good with it, right Luke?"

"Sounds good to me," Luke agreed, holding Alejandra between them as a shield just in case.

"You're just lucky I love you guys," Dev said with an unimpressed glare, taking Alejandra and pressing kisses to her cheeks as she shrieked with laughter.

Reid looked at Jasper who was watching the scene with the softest smile on his face, reaching out to shake Alejandra's finger. To get his attention, Reid caught his gaze with his own.

"Are you in town for work?"

"Uhh, yeah--there's an NHL event before the Hawk's game tonight, thought I'd grab some lunch while my wife relaxes. I was feeling a little restless and I was annoying Maria back in the hotel room, so though I'd eat here first before I head back."

For the first time since he'd come over, Jasper looked uneasy. "I'm really sorry if I disturbed you guys."

"No, not at all," Luke interjected with a genuine smile, taking Alejandra from Dev and settling her onto his hip. "It's really nice to finally meet you."

"Yeah, it's good to see you," Reid agreed, despite how random the situation was. "Did you want to join us?"

Jasper held his hand up, shaking his head. "Oh no, please--you guys finish eating. I was done anyway--just saw you and thought I should come over and say 'hey'."

"And I'm glad you did," Reid said honestly.

A notification had Jasper grab his phone from his pocket and snort out a laugh at what he read, "Ahh sorry guys," and tap a quick answer back.

He turned his lips inward before giving Reid a sheepish look. "I--uhh, have to head back, Maria is hungry and demands her burger and fries be delivered at once. Is it okay if I can get your number? It's been a while and I think I've gone through a few numbers, as I'm sure you have. It'd be nice if we could stay in touch?"

Reid could sense why he was being hesitant, and it was because Luke was sat right there and Jasper was hoping he wasn't crossing a line. And he wasn't, they'd parted as friends no matter what else had happened between them, and Reid knew that Luke wouldn't begrudge him for sharing their contact details.

"Yeah, sure--hand it over." Reid took Jasper's phone and tapped in his number, and his private email address. They'd stuck to the idea of somewhat of a clean break at the time for a reason and had drifted apart, but that didn't mean they couldn't talk now. He handed Jasper his own phone so he could put his own contact details in too.

"Thanks, it's been good to see you again, really--we'll catch up again soon I hope," Jasper told Reid, pocketing the phone. "But for now, I'm going to get outta your way, and let you get on with your day. Take care, guys--it was good to meet you all. Bye kiddos!"

Jack lightly punched at Reid's arm with a soft grin, and nodded towards Luke with a sincere and thankful smile before waving at them all as they said their goodbyes.

Still feeling somewhat in a daze, Reid sat down and watched as Jasper grabbed his jacket from a couple of tables away, threw his beanie on, and took the takeout bag the server gave him, rushing out the door into the cold. He was sure the full impact of seeing Jasper would hit him later, but for now, he couldn't believe they hadn't bumped into each other considering how much he did travel around.

"Papa, Papa--up!"

Reid was brought out of his thoughts by a huffy Alejandra who was trying to climb onto his lap. He obeyed her order and cuddled her to his chest, dropping a kiss to her hair.

"Papa, fry?" Alejandra said, pointing towards the last couple of fries left on his plate.

"No monkey," Reid smiled down at her, "I'm finished."

Alejandra grinned up at him, and giggled loudly when Reid gave her a kiss to her nose.

Reid felt his ankle being trapped and looked up to see Luke throwing him a wink. He held out a hand on the table that Reid was quick to hold, threading their fingers together and giving them a squeeze.

"You okay?" Luke mouthed silently.

Reid gave him a nod, and another squeeze of his hand. He was just hoping that Luke was okay if he was being honest.

"Woahhhhh, wait a second--didn't he come out as bi while he was still playing? He was the one of the first to ever do it, and then a couple of other guys came out as gay, didn't they?" Dev asked, finishing off the last of Jacob's milkshake.

Reid gave Luke a knowing look and nodded Dev's way. "Yeah, he did."

If there was another thing Dev was good at, it was reading between the lines and figuring out a puzzle and making the links before any more evidence was needed.

Dev's eyes widened in recognition, mouth falling open, looking between both Luke and Reid. "Ohhhhhhh, okay--okay. All of that," he waved a hand in the air, "makes sense now. I won't ask about it anymore."

"Good."

"Except for one thing."

"And what's that?" Luke asked, amusedly.

"Do you think now that you're kinda back to being friends with him he can get us some tickets to some games? And I mean, he said he liked me! He'd want to be my friend!"

Reid huffed a laugh, with a shake of his head. He knew Dev was only joking, well mostly. "I think it'll take a while to work up to that, but I'll keep it in mind."

Dev gave him a thumbs up, and gave Jacob and Freddie a fist pump.

Another squeeze to his hand had Reid throw Luke a grateful smile, and he couldn't help but press a kiss to the back of his hand.

Luke rolling his eyes only made Reid laugh, and he seriously wondered how the hell he'd managed to land someone like Luke.

 

***

 

The drive back to Oakdale had been a quiet one.

Reid had taken it upon himself to drive them back, since Luke had driven them there that morning. The kids had all conked out, Luke and Dev too. After Dev and Jacob had been dropped off at home where Katie was waiting for them, Reid drove them home and was urged straight into getting some sleep by Luke.

Reid resisted, knowing that he'd have to entertain the kids by himself, and now they were wide awake and excitable and Alejandra was in the midst of a tantrum, but Luke was having none of it. He marched Reid upstairs with Alejandra on his hip sobbing into his ear, made Reid change into something more comfortable and pretty much tucked him into bed, closed the curtains and set an alarm for him, too.

And there wasn't much Reid could do to fight that. He could honestly do with some rest, but he promised himself he'd wake up in half an hour.

But that didn't quite happen.

His true wakeup call came in the form of Peggy who lay her head and paws on Reid's chest and started licking at his face.

"I bet Luke told you to do that, huh?" Reid groaned as he finally got up and pushed Peggy away, checking the time. "Ugh, I'm gonna kill him." It was almost six so he had most definitely slept longer than he'd planned on. Over an hour and a half in fact.

Peggy just lolled her tongue out and bumped her head into Reid's chest to get him moving.

"Okay, okay--let's go."

Reid went to quickly freshen up, grabbed his glasses, and followed Peggy as she bounded down the stairs to what looked like a dance party. He couldn't quite believe he hadn't woken up considering how loud the music was, but he guessed it was proof as to how tired he had been.

Luke and Freddie were busy dancing to the song playing on the television, and it was a favourite of Luke's. Alejandra was in the middle of them both, jumping up and down with glee, holding onto Luke's finger as he twirled her around.

There was nothing stopping Reid watching them for a few minutes, and so he did. But Peggy joining in with the dancing with an excited bark was enough to make his presence known.

Luke turned around and grinned Reid's way. "My baby is awake!"

Reid made a face, but couldn't help but smile as Alejandra ran over, still not so steady on her feet however, and clung to his legs and tried to climb them.

"Papa's not a baby!" Freddie said with a giggle of his own. "He's just Papa!"

"Yes, I'm just Papa." Reid swung Alejandra into his arms and blew a raspberry to her cheek making her shriek with laughter.

"Well, your Papa will always be my baby," Luke said with a smirk, walking over and giving Reid a soft kiss, and Alejandra a kiss to her cheek. "Lemme get you some water, I'll be back."

Alejandra had only wanted a cuddle, and squirmed around in Reid arms wanting to be put down. She was a ball of energy nowadays, and couldn't stay in one place, something else always caught her attention. So Reid let her go, sitting himself down on the couch as Freddie showed Reid the drawing he'd made while he'd slept, and the new book he'd bought from Chicago. Luke came back and handed Reid a glass of water before grabbing a couple of blankets and pillows from the couch and throwing them on the floor.

Freddie could tell what was going to happen next and was vibrating with excitement. "We gonna watch a movie?"

"Yeah, honey. And you can pick! Let me know when you're hungry for dinner, okay?"

Freddie nodded and took the controller from Luke, settling himself in his little nest of blankets and pillows to pick his movie as Peggy lay down right next to him. Alejandra had taken it upon herself to empty out her toy box and play with whatever she fancied, and luckily was distracted for the moment.

Reid put his empty glass on the coffee table, and made space for Luke who curled up next to him, legs folded himself, arm resting on the back of the couch and fingers smoothing lightly and idly over Reid's ear.

"Hi there."

Reid turned to look at him with a smile. "Hey."

"How was your nap?"

Huffing a laugh, Reid squeezed at Luke's knee. "It was good, thank you. I haven't slept well for a couple nights and didn't realise how tired I was. Who knows whether I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"Oh, don't worry about that--I'll tire you out," Luke said with a saucy wink.

"You really think we'll have time for anything with Alejandra waking up in the night?"

"I'll be quick, and thorough--and I'm not letting you wake up with her again tonight."

Reid quirked an eyebrow. "You're not letting me?"

"Yes," Luke punctuated with a kiss to Reid's shoulder. "You need a break, and I have a feeling she'll be conked out from today and I won't have to wake up at all."

"Here's hoping you're right."

Luke just smiled and moved his fingers from Reid's ear to twist around his curls, and Reid couldn't help but lean into his touch. They still hadn't talked about what had happened earlier that day, and it seemed the time to talk was now.

"Funny how the day we meet your NHL ex-boyfriend, it's the day we went ice-skating," Luke said with a snort of a laugh, getting right into the conversation. "Was this planned or--?"

Reid sighed, taking his glasses off and covered his face with his hands. "Jesus, I didn't even think of that."

"You sure about that?"

Reid dropped his hands from his face. "Luke."

"I'm just kidding, it's all just a weird coincidence, I know."

"Really weird," Reid agreed.

Luke took Reid's glasses from his hand and put them back on for him. "Did Jasper ever take you skating?"

"Just once, but I hardly did any skating--still had bad memories from when I went as a kid."

Luke looked concerned. "Oh no, I didn't know it was that bad for you."

"It's okay, Luke--I had you today so it made all the difference.

Luke seemed somewhat satisfied with that answer, his frown disappearing. "Jasper seems really nice though."

"He is."

"And I ummm--got nosy and went through his social media and other stuff. I hadn't even realised he was on anything, but managed to find it anyway."

Reid smirked, knowing that Luke's need to do his research on Jasper got the better of him. He was surprised Luke hadn't done this when he'd told him about their relationship in the first place. "Of course you would."

Luke glared and pulled lightly at Reid's ear in admonishment. "You're so mean! Anyway, so I found out that after he retired he opened up a hockey school for kids from underprivileged backgrounds and coaches them when he can, _and_ he does a ton of charity stuff too. And, did you know that his wife was pregnant? Apparently they'd been trying for a while and they're finally having twins."

"That's really good--he always did love kids. I couldn't imagine him without any."

Luke took his phone out of his pocket and swiped through to show Reid photos from Jasper's Instagram. There were a couple of pictures of his Jasper and his wife, some of their dog, some with his family, and some pictures of landscapes and what looked like them relaxing at home, before Reid's eyes landed on one that was posted earlier today.

It was a picture of Maria on the hotel bed surrounded by the burgers and fries from the diner they'd gone to. Jasper was trying but failing to cuddle up to his wife, whilst she flipped off the camera with a fry hanging out of her mouth. The caption read, 'I go out in arctic weather to bring her lunch, but she loves the food and the babies more than me #storyofmylife', and it made Reid chuckle to himself.

"They seem really happy, huh?" Luke said softly.

Reid nodded. "They do, and I'm happy for him."

But Reid could tell Luke had some questions to ask, so he prepared himself as best he could. He was happy to be honest and upfront about anything he wanted to know.

"So, I know you two broke up because he got traded, but," Luke brushed his fingers over Reid's ear again not quite able to look at him, "do you think if he didn't that you would've still been together?"

And that was an easy answer.

"No, there wasn't a future for us, and--I think as much as I was okay with the idea of keeping things secret for a little longer, he hated it more than I did. We were starting to drift apart anyway, and he really wasn't happy in Dallas. He had me and one other player on the team that knew him and cared for him the way he needed. I think he just didn't fit in with the way things were done within the management and the trade came at the right time."

"That really sucks."

"Yeah," Reid shrugged, "but Boston was good to him, and his career only got better out there."

"You guys didn't talk at all once you broke up?"

Reid smoothed a hand over Luke's thigh. "We decided on a clean break, mainly for his sake, he didn't need a reminder of Dallas. And we both needed to get on and build our careers, so it made sense."

Luke frowned, and ran his fingers through Reid's curls again. "I'm sure he doesn't think that, you were probably the best part of his time in Dallas."

Reid glanced over to check on Alejandra who was lying down next to Freddie on the blankets, watching the movie with him. But he just didn't know what to say. "I don't know about that, I wasn't always the best boyfriend."

"That's your opinion, not his--and I can't believe he'd think that. You were an amazing boyfriend to me, and now you're my amazing husband."

"You're biased."

Luke huffed, leaning over to drop a kiss to Reid's cheek. "So what if I am? I'm telling the truth, and I'm sad that you guys just broke things off so suddenly and cleanly."

"I did check in on him," Reid reassured Luke. "I would still see his friend from the team sometimes, and I'd ask about him and he'd tell me. I would keep an eye out for articles about him, watched a game or two. I wanted him to have a fresh start, and keeping things separate worked for us. The last time we had any contact was when Jasper's agent reached out to me before he came out."

"But it was a good relationship? And you were okay seeing him today?" Luke asked earnestly, concern radiating off of his face.

Reid took Luke's other hand and threaded their fingers together, pressing a kiss their joint hands. "We were happy when were together, and today was good. It was weird to see him again, but I'm glad it happened the way it did. And honestly, we weren't quite right for each other, and that was okay because ending things with him meant that I found you."

Luke's eyes were getting misty but he laughed anyway. "Yeah, blackmailed you here more like."

"Then we have a really good story to tell the kids when they ask how we met."

"And they're gonna think we're mad."

"So what? It's not a boring story, is it?"

"No," Luke said, giving Reid a sweet kiss. "I guess not."

Reid gave their entwined fingers another kiss and raised a questioning eyebrow. "And what about you? How was it for you to meet an ex of mine?"

Luke narrowed his eyes with a sly smile. "You think I'm jealous or something?"

The smirk that broke out on Reid's face couldn't be helped. "Or something, but no, I just want to know whether you were okay with it. It's not exactly a situation you've been in before and I thought it must've been uncomfortable for you."

Luke shook his head, looking content. "No, truthfully--it wasn't uncomfortable. It was weird to randomly meet like that, but like I said, he seems like a really sweet guy who was really respectful to you, and to me. I couldn't ask for more than that. It's not like you haven't been civil with my ex when he comes to visit."

The less said about that ex-boyfriend the better, but if Luke wanted to stay friends with him then Reid wouldn't ever get in the way of that. It was an unusual situation to put anyone in that was for sure, but Luke had handled it with grace. "You sure?"

"Very sure--and I wouldn't mind if you two stayed in touch and became friends again. We're all mature adults here. I'd like to think you were a good influence in his life, like you are in mine, and I have a feeling he'd love to reconnect with you. And I'd like to get to know him too."

"For the free tickets like Dev?" Reid asked with a knowing smile.

"Nuh uh, for you," Luke bit his lip to hold back a laugh, but when Reid gave him another look, Luke folded. "And for the tickets kinda, but mostly because you care about him and he cares about you, and umm--he's really cute."

Reid tried to look offended. "He's _cute_?"

"What? I'm not blind, and he still has a really good hockey butt."

Reid's mouth fell open in surprise. "Where and when did you see his butt?"

Luke grinned wickedly. "On his Instagram! I'm just saying, he fills out those swim trunks really well."

"Jesus, you are ridiculous," Reid said in disbelief, laughing as Luke aggressively cuddled into him and dropped kisses to his cheeks and chin.

"Babe, you're my one and only, I promise. You have the best butt in the world, better than all the hockey butts combined."

Luke dropped one last kiss to Reid's lips which Reid prolonged by keeping Luke close with a hand to his cheek, not wanting to let him go just yet.

Reid broke the kiss a couple of seconds later, smoothing a thumb over the apple of Luke's cheek. "Thanks for being understanding, and for handling the situation the way you did. I had no doubts you'd be good if the time ever came," Reid said sincerely.

Resting a hand over Reid's on his cheek, Luke huffed a sigh. "You don't have to thank me for that. We all have pasts, but what matters is that I love you and you love me, right?"

"Right," Reid told him with a nod, before dragging Luke into another kiss.

"Can I sit with you? Please?" came Freddie's timid voice.

Reid and Luke both laughed into their kiss and Reid reluctantly let Luke go, but not without one quick kiss to his cheek. He made space for Freddie, who had demanded some attention, between him and Luke. Alejandra wasn't too far behind and had clumsily climbed onto Luke's lap, and Luke was quick to give her at least a dozen kisses all over her face that had her giggling with delight. They were obviously bored with the movie and thought it was time to bother their parents, but Reid was okay with it.

Reid cuddled Freddie to his chest and smoothed a hand over his curls and his back. "Hey monster, you had a good day today?"

Freddie nodded furiously. "Yup, and the skating was loadsa fun--can we go again?"

"I think we can do that, bub."

"And this time Jelly gets to go too! Right, Daddy?"

"Yeah, why not?" Luke said, letting a restless Alejandra slide out of his lap and run to play with Peggy. "I think there's a rink close by, I'll see if they got some classes going on. That sound good?"

"Yes please--and I'm hungry now, Daddy. And Papa is too, I can tell."

"You can tell?" Luke asked.

"Yeah!" Freddie exclaimed. "Papa's tummy made a noise, so that means he's hungry obviously!"

Reid hadn't even noticed he was hungry, which was a first. He guessed he had a lot on his mind. He burst out laughing along with Luke anyway and raised his eyebrows Luke's way.

"So what's for dinner?"

"I made a really yummy pasta bake with loads of vegetables. It's cooking in the oven, just another few minutes to go. It won't be long, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy--I can wait!" Freddie said.

Luke just grinned and gave Freddie a sweet kiss to his hair.

This man was honestly Superman. How Luke managed to carve out time to do everything to perfection, Reid had no clue. "How long was I asleep? Did you solve world peace too?"

"Yup, I am just that good," Luke said in reply, winking Reid's way with laugh.

And Reid wholeheartedly agreed, drinking in everything about Luke he loved the most. There was too many but not enough words to describe it. Yeah, yeah...he was a sap.

"The best--you're the best."

Luke's lips twisted into a bright smile and he blew a kiss Reid's way.

And if that didn't make Reid's heart soar even if he'd thought the gesture ridiculous, he'd be a liar.

 

***

 

"Can Alejandra tell me where her eyes are?"

"Eyes!" Alejandra babbled happily, closing her eyes and pointing to them. It sounded more like 'ass' when she said it, but Reid would let her get away with it because it was so adorably funny.

"Well done!" Reid grinned her way, clapping his hands as she followed suit with a grin of her own.

"Can Alejandra show me where her nose is?"

Alejandra pursed her lips in thought, before correctly grabbing her own nose with a grin.

"Good job, monkey. And where are your ears?"

She touched her ear with her finger and screeched out giggle as Reid pressed a kiss right where her finger had been.

They'd both woken up earlier than they should have for a Sunday morning. Reid had felt very well rested after the night before, even if Luke had thoroughly tired him out like he'd promised. Alejandra, as Luke predicted, had slept through the night and Reid felt like everything was finally back on track--even if the one night may have been a fluke.

Once he had woken up, he'd left Luke buried deep under covers fast asleep, and checked on the kids to see Alejandra was awake too. So he decided he'd make them all breakfast, and that Alejandra would be his sous-chef for the morning.

He'd given her a bottle of her milk after having changed her, which she'd drank cuddled up to him. She hadn't let him go until she was done, which had become her habit lately.

Reid sat Alejandra close to him in her high chair whilst he prepared some avocado to top the scrambled eggs he was about to cook. Peggy was an early riser like them and having already eaten her breakfast, she was happily relaxing on the floor by Alejandra's feet, and basking in the morning sun that was pouring in from the windows.

Alejandra held her hand out with a whine, and Reid handed her a small piece of avocado which she stuffed straight into her mouth.

"You like that?"

Alejandra nodded as she chewed and held her hand out for another piece.

Reid shook his head with a soft laugh. "You can finish eating that first and then I'll give you some more, okay? Your Dad and Freddie should be awake soon, and then we can all eat breakfast together."

It wasn't until Reid had started scrambling the eggs that he heard the sound of Freddie babbling away and saw him walking down the stairs hand in hand with Luke, who had the most impressive bed-head he'd seen in a while.

"Good morning, boys," Reid called out.

Luke yawned and just waved. Freddie yelled out a, "Good morning!", slipping out of his grasp and ran straight to Alejandra to give her a kiss, and gave Reid a tight hug before taking his seat at the dining table.

"You can go back to sleep if you want, Luke," Reid suggested, watching as Luke rubbed a hand over his face with another yawn, and dropped a sweet kiss to Alejandra's head. "We don't have anywhere to be today."

Luke made a face and wrapped himself around Reid's back, tucking his face into Reid's neck with a sleepy groan.

"Luke, go back to sleep. I can get the kids fed."

"No," he mumbled back, pressing a kiss to his neck. "You're warm and I missed you, don't wanna go to bed without you."

"Breakfast is almost ready, the coffee is ready too."

Luke lifted his head and squinted at Reid. "What?" He glanced around in awe, taking in the plate of avocado and fruit already laid out, the bread sliced and ready for the toaster, and eggs almost cooked.

"How long have you been down here? I swear you only left me five minutes ago."

"I'm just that good," Reid said, echoing Luke's words from the night before, earning him a swat to his stomach.

"Seriously--"

Reid twisted his head to kiss Luke's cheek. " _Seriously_ , I came down an hour ago. Alejandra's already had her bottle and is ready for these eggs," he said, switching off the hob and turning around to fix Luke's hair. "You can sleep some more, really."

"Naaa I'm okay," Luke said, taking Reid's face between his hands and smacking a kiss to his lips. "Lemme get Allie and Freddie's food ready, and you can get me some coffee? Please?"

With a soft laugh, Reid kissed him once more. "I can get you some coffee, go on--go."

With practiced ease, Reid made his and Luke's coffee, whilst Luke set the table and made up Freddie's and Alejandra's plates. They all finally sat down to eat, Luke eating in between feeding Alejandra anything she'd missed and Alejandra throwing down anything to Peggy that she didn't want to eat. Freddie regaled them of his dream the night before as he ate, and his plans for school the next day.

It wasn't long until breakfast was devoured by them all, and Freddie had zoomed off to go and watch his cartoons for the morning dragging Alejandra along with him, which left Reid and Luke alone. Their open plan living space allowed them to keep an eye on the kids from afar, which was perfect for when they wanted to be alone, but close enough to be there in case they were needed.

"I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I got a call from Faith," Luke told him.

Reid made a noise of approval, glancing up at Luke from his tablet, where he'd been reading the news. "How is she?"

"She's good, so is Rosie, but she asked us when we'll be able to make it to London for a trip. I know I said we could go soon but Freddie has school, and you're working."

"I'll see what my schedule is like for the next couple of months. I know you haven't seen her in a while, and we've not been anywhere abroad with Alejandra since we've had her, so maybe it's time. Is she planning on coming here soon?"

Luke shrugged. "Maybe? But not for a while--I don't think Alex can get time off of work at the moment to come with her, and Faith works part-time now that Rosie is a little older."

"I'm sure we'll find some time--maybe after Dev and Katie's wedding?"

Luke nodded with a smile. "Hmmm, that sounds good. And speaking of the wedding, Katie and I are going to finalise the wedding favours tomorrow. Dev has work and can't make it, so I'm going with her, and I'm taking Alejandra with me."

But Reid had a more important question. "I'm still going to the cake tasting with Katie, right? When is it?"

Luke snorted out a laugh, quickly checking the calendar on his phone. "Yes, my love--that's not till Friday."  He then gave Reid a pleading look. "But, can you two please decide on a cake this time? Because this is the third place you're going to and you're now at the end of my list. Plus, they're the only bakery that are happy to allow a late booking and I had to turn on some serious charm to even allow a _tasting_."

Reid waved off Luke's concern. "Yeah, yeah--I looked up reviews about this place, they look good."

"Great," Luke took a sip of his coffee before sighing heavily. "Look, I love those guys, but I didn't realise how stressful wedding planning was. I love helping her with this more than anything, but there's just so much to do. Thank god that we have Dev's cousin taking care of the Hindu ceremony details, but honestly there's just so much."

Reid couldn't help the smirk that broke out on his face. "You're the one who said you wanted to help."

"I know, I know--you asshole," Luke whined with a laugh of his own. "But I know that no matter how stressful this is, it will mean that Dev and Katie will get an amazing wedding day. That's all I want for them, and that's all that matters in the end."

"Hey," Reid carded his fingers through Luke's hair, wanting to ease his worries, "and you'll do a great job like you always do. It'll be an amazing wedding because they have you."

"Thank you, and I hope so." Luke took Reid's hand from his hair and gave it a kiss with a grateful smile, a blush tingeing his cheeks.

Both he and Luke had attended many a wedding in their time together, so they knew what to expect and how nice it could be when done right. Especially when it came down to the food. But having seen Luke enthusiastically help out Katie with her plans, his own suggestions making Katie and Dev think twice before deciding on something, and the both of them coming to Luke for advice on pretty much everything--it only made Reid feel guilty about the fact that he'd not been able to give Luke the wedding he'd deserved. 

They'd pretty much decided on keeping their wedding as small as possible, out on the lake at the farm with some family and their best friends. It had been pretty last minute, all put together within two weeks. There was no big party, no lavish decorations. But instead, they'd had some strands of twinkly lights wrapped around the surrounding trees, and for food, some delicious pies and a steak dinner. Reid had assumed that it was a mutual decision to keep it simple, but sometimes Reid wondered if it had all been done for his benefit.

"Would you have wanted a wedding like theirs?"

"Huh?" Luke looked up from his phone, confusion marring his face. "What do you mean?"

"A big wedding, with the flowers and the favours and the big cake. Maybe even a beach wedding at dusk or something?"

Luke took a moment to answer, his frown disappearing as he put his phone down.

"No, I don't think so. I just wanted to marry you, and it didn't matter where or when. And honestly," his lips turning downwards into a self-deprecating smile, "I didn't ever think that I'd ever find someone to marry, let alone have a lavish wedding. So to even get that chance in whatever way worked for me and the man I love, I was more than okay with that. And our wedding was beautiful--I loved our day...it was exactly what I wanted for you and me. But it didn't matter what the wedding was like, I just wanted a good marriage and a great future with you, and I think we have that."

It was an answer Reid wasn't quite expecting, but made a lot of sense. It wasn't something that had ever been on Reid's mind either. A marriage, a family and settling down in a suburb wasn't ever in his future, or so he thought. Their wedding day had been one of the best days of Reid's life, but he had to agree with Luke. Their marriage was good, better than good, and that's all that mattered in the end...not how it happened.

And maybe that's why they were so perfect for each other.

Reid rolled his eyes, wanting to tease. "Jesus, you're so sappy."

Luke scoffed but couldn't help laughing. "You're the worst--why did I even marry you?"

Reid reached out and gave Luke's hand a squeeze. "Because you wanted a marriage? Which, by the way, I think we're succeeding in because it's us, well mainly me actually."

Luke rolled his eyes in turn, and crossed his arms, affronted. "So our marriage is a success because I found _you_?"

"Obviously. I knew that you were worthy of a good marriage and an amazing husband, so I came into your life and fulfilled all your dreams."

"Uh huh, and anything else?" Luke asked, lips twitching with suppressed laughter.

Reid shrugged. "And I mean, you're lucky the sex is good and you're pretty hot, otherwise I would've left a long time ago. Last night was definitely in my top ten of all time."

A burst of laughter from Luke had Reid laugh too, and he accepted the sweet kiss Luke gave him with a grin. That had been the aim all along. "You're the worst husband ever. Thank you for marrying me."

"Back at you," Reid retorted with a smile of his own.

They were happily interrupted from their moment when Alejandra clumsily ran around the table to get to Luke, waving her hair tie.

"Dadaa no 'air," she whined, trying to push the hair out of her face.

Luke pressed a kiss to her hand. "What's wrong, Allie?"

"'air, Dada...'air," she babbled.

"Oh baby, want me to tie your hair up?"

Alejandra nodded, and Luke was quick to sit her on his lap so he could do just that. She didn't ever like her hair in her face, and like Freddie, she was scared to get her hair cut just yet, so Reid and Luke were happy to let it grow and happy to tie it up whenever she needed it to be out of her way.

"There we go!" Luke spun her around to face Reid and hugged her to his chest, dropping a couple more kisses to her cheek. "How does she look, Papa?"

Her little pony tail was defying gravity and was stuck up in the air like an antenna. "Perfect," Reid said, reaching out to tickle Alejandra's foot.

A notification of an email a few seconds later had Reid check his tablet, and he wasn't surprised to see who the email was from.

"What's up?"

Reid must've made said something or made a sound without realising, and had gotten Luke's attention. "Oh, I uh--got an email from Jasper."

Luke hummed in response, with an amused smile, carefully helping Alejandra drink some juice from his glass. "And? Aren't you gonna read it?"

Reid gave a small nod, not quite sure about his own hesitancy, and before he could say a word in reply, Luke leaned over and kissed Reid's forehead.

"Let me go and check on Freddie--come find me when you're done. Wanna give Papa a kiss?"

Luke got to his feet and leaned Alejandra towards Reid, and she was quick to give Reid's nose a sloppy kiss, giggling when Reid made a face and exaggeratedly wiped at his nose.

Reid knew exactly why Luke was leaving, even though it wasn't necessary in any way, he was grateful for it regardless.

He tapped open the email, and took a deep breath before delving into it.

 

 

**From:** jf.quinones@quinonesfoundation.org

**To:** reid.s.oliver@gmail.com

**Date:** 28 January 2019 at 10:13

**Subject:** Hello!

 

_Hey Reid,_

_Good morning! Firstly, this is so strange, but not so strange at the same time. Fair warning, this email may contain ramble on sentences and things that don't make sense, so forgive me in advance. It was so great to see you yesterday with your family. Your family! Jeez, you have a husband and two beautiful kids, and I can't tell you how happy it made me to know you have them. You're a lucky man, Reid._

_Secondly, thanks for being nice enough to give me your contact info._

_After everything that happened between us, I had assumed you wouldn't want anything to do with me. I know we broke things off amicably, but I always worried that I'd taken it too far when we mutually agreed that we never speak to each other again, it had been my suggestion after all. I thought you'd want me out of your life after dealing with me, but I want you to know, you were the one of the only good things about Dallas, and without you, I don't know if I would've made it to Boston at all. I should've told you that before I left, but the words just wouldn't come out._

_You meant a lot to me, and you still do. Even though I might not have been able to show you that in the way you deserved._

_I'm gonna sound creepy now, but I did keep tabs on you. No stalking involved, I promise! Haha! I googled you a couple times, and I was so happy to see that your career was blossoming. Toffee (aka James Toffler)  would tell me when you'd asked after me, and that helped to ease my guilt a little, but not enough._

_Funny thing, if it wasn't for Maria, I don't think I would've had the guts to come and talk to you yesterday. I didn't want to disturb you guys, but I called her to say I'd seen you and she made me promise I'd speak to you before you left. She's known about you and me for years, and I hope that's okay. She also knew I always had some regret in the way we had ended things and she would've given me hell if I hadn't even attempted a conversation. So I had to work up my confidence in case you ignored me. But I shouldn't have worried so much._

_I assume you've told Luke about us, and that's completely okay! I just want you to tell him from me a massive thank you. Not everyone is as gracious with an ex-anything, so your Luke is a good guy, the best guy in my opinion. You did good, Reid. But you always did deserve the best. Yeah yeah, I bet you're rolling your eyes at me right now, but it's completely true._

_And Maria is currently standing over my shoulder as I type and reminding me to tell you that she admires your work and is a big fan, maybe one of your biggest fans. For some context, she's an oncologist and knew about you before I'd even told her that I knew you, life is strange, huh?  (I may have a thing for doctors?)_

_Maybe this is premature, or too much, but I hope that us seeing each other after so many years doesn't go to waste, that it's a sign of good things to come. I'd be so happy to call you a friend again, if you'd like that too. No pressure! And if you're ever around Boston way, I promise you have a place to stay. You and your family are always welcome._

_Take care,_

_Jasper_

 

 

Jasper hadn't changed a bit, the email was proof of that. Reid didn't get why he'd been hesitant to read the email in the first place, maybe it was the same hesitancy that Jasper had had to come and talk to him. But it was a relief that there were no hard feelings between them.

He would definitely reply to Jasper later, but he had to have a certain someone read the email too.

Reid found Luke on the floor of the front room with Alejandra, helping her make a car with her Lego whilst Freddie was on the couch still watching his cartoons. It was Alejandra who noticed him first, waving the car at him.

"Papa, voom voom!"

Reid smiled her way. "What are you making there?"

"Alejandra is becoming an expert Lego car engineer, aren't you baby girl?" Luke answered for her, "My girl is the cleverest."

"Just like her Dad then," Reid said with a wink.

Luke laughed and blew Reid a kiss. "You're such a sweetheart, I love you. That compliment obviously means you want something."

"Why would you think that?" Reid sat down next to him, and couldn't help but laugh himself. "I can't compliment my husband?"

"Yeah, but only when you want something."

"I am hurt, Luke--very hurt," Reid deadpanned. "But you're not wrong, all I want you to do is have this." He handed Luke his tablet and gestured towards it. "Have a read of it."

Luke looked down at the tablet and then back at Reid, shaking his head. "Babe, I don't have to read this." He held it back out but Reid put a hand over his, pushing the tablet back in his direction.

"I wouldn't give this to you if I didn't want you to read it. I don't want to hide anything from you."

"Reid, you're entitled to a private life."

"And I want to share this with you," Reid pointed out with a sigh. "Just read the email, it's nothing that I wouldn't have told you about anyway."

Luke quirked an eyebrow in question. "You promise?"

Reid drew a cross over his heart with a finger, and gestured at the tablet again. "Just read it."

Luke still looked unsure, but with a twist of his mouth began reading. There wasn't any reason why Luke couldn't have read it, but Reid understood his point of view, no matter how ridiculous it was. What he said was true however, he had nothing to hide.

"Papa!"

Alejandra had abandoned her car making and had brought over her animal puzzle from her toy box. She turned the bag upside down, the pieces fell out, and she giggled with delight.

"Okay, monkey--are you going to show me how it's done?"

Alejandra sat herself in front of Reid and began slowly putting the animals in the slots. Reid encouraged her to say the names of the animals and the sounds they made too. She was always happy to learn and had a thirst for knowledge that rivalled Freddie's, but Reid knew that it wouldn't be long until she'd be talking their ear off about anything that came to her mind. Even if her favourite word these days was 'no'.

"Hey."

A tap to Reid's knee had his attention, and he raised an eyebrow Luke's way.

"So, what's your verdict?" he asked, strangely feeling uneasy.

Luke snorted out a laugh and pulled on Reid's ear gently. "My verdict? My verdict is that he seems sweet, _and_ I'm not going to say I told you so but--"

"You just did," Reid pointed out with a smirk.

Luke swatted at Reid's arm with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not going to say that, even if it's true--because the man cared about you a lot, and you meant a lot to him. I honestly don't have any problems with you two becoming friends again. He's a good guy, and his wife seems really cool too. Thank you for sharing this with me, you didn't have to--but I love you for it anyway." He leaned over and dropped a kiss to Reid's cheek.

It wasn't quite relief that Reid felt, but something about Luke's words made him feel like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Yeah, he was a lucky guy--Jasper was right.

"I'm not quite sure what to email back, I'm not too good with words, which you can tease me about later. But I could use some--guidance, I guess."

"I can help you with anything you want," Luke said ignoring the last part, squeezing Reid's knee. "And it's not like you have to email back right now, we can do it together when you want to."

"Sure, that sounds good."

Luke threw him a reassuring smile, and smiled wider when Reid put a hand over his, threading their fingers together.

"And hey, I love you too."

Luke threw him a saucy wink in reply, but before he could get a word in edgeways, Freddie had thrown himself over Reid's back, wrapping himself around him.

"Papa, do you have work today?" he asked.

"No, monster," Reid twisted his head as best he could to see him and reached a hand around to pat at his head, but let Freddie press their cheeks together. "I don't have to work today, and neither does your Dad."

"Really?"

"Really, baby," Luke told him with a smile, smoothing a hand over his curls. "You wanna do something today? Or did you just want to stay at home?"

"Nope," Freddie left Reid and glommed himself onto Luke, his longer limbs making it a little harder for Luke to adjust himself to make Freddie more comfortable in his arms. "I just missed you and wanted a fun day today like yesterday. Yesterday was the best! But we can stay home, just you, me, Papa, and Jelly."

The guilt on Luke's face was sad to see, but it was obvious that Freddie was still getting over Luke leaving for work for the weeks that he had. Even though they talked every day on the phone and had saw each other for video calls, it wasn't enough, and it wasn't ever a replacement for the real thing. Reid would know.

"Sweetheart, I missed you too. But I'm here now, and I promise I won't go away for that long ever again."

"Promise?"

"I promise, my love." Luke dropped a couple of kisses to Freddie's forehead and hugged him tightly. However, Alejandra was having none of it and had left her puzzle to waddle over to Luke and Freddie.

"Dada no! No, no, no, no! Dee dee, no!"

It was clear that Alejandra was feeling jealous of all the attention her big brother was getting, and tried to clamber into Luke's lap whilst pushing Freddie out of the way. 'Dee dee' was her name for Freddie since she couldn't quite say his name, and he hoped it stuck around for a while. Reid couldn't help but laugh, watching the scene with a grin of his own.

"Jelly! You gotta stop!" Freddie giggled, finding his baby sister's antics hilarious.

"No, no, no!"

Luke burst out laughing too. "Baby, don't be mean to your brother. You can both fit on my lap, I love you both!"

"No!" Alejandra squealed, wrapping her arms around Luke's neck and holding on tight. This had become more fun for her judging by her toothy grin. Luke threw a pleading look Reid's way, but he could sense that Luke was loving this more than he thought.

"Aren't you going to help me? Your husband is under siege! Where is my knight in shining armour?"

"I think I'm going to stay out of this," Reid said, holding his hands up before crossing his arms.

"What?" Luke gasped dramatically. "Freddie, Alejandra--your Papa is the worst!"

Both Freddie and Alejandra fell into a fit of giggles, so Reid hammed it up.

"What? I love you guys, but it's not like anyone loves me. Except Peggy."

Peggy, hearing her name came bounding over from her bed and licked at Reid's cheek, which Reid wasn't the biggest fan of but he put up with it and scrubbed a hand over her head, hugging her close. "See? She's the only one."

"No, that's not true!" Freddie hauled himself out of his Dad's arms and hugged him tight, pressing their cheeks together. "I love you, Papa--and so does Dad, and Jelly, and Peggy!"

As Reid wrapped his arms around him and saw the mischief in Luke's eyes, realising what he'd let himself in for.

"Let's show Papa just how much we love him! Cuddle pile!" Luke bellowed.

"Oh no," Reid mumbled under his breath, his stomach dropping when he knew what was coming.

Scooping Alejandra into his arms with a cheeky grin, Luke knocked into Reid's shoulder, Freddie pushing him down to, so that he'd fall onto his back. Freddie laid himself over Reid as Luke lay down next to Reid with a happy sigh and turned to his side so he could squeeze into Reid, so Alejandra was squished between all three of them. Peggy had found some space on Reid's other side, to avoid all the squishing but was in the cuddle pile all the same.

The giggles and laughs from the kids echoing around the room only made Reid laugh too, even if the situation was ridiculous. There was always a tickle fight that started about twenty seconds into the cuddle pile and Reid was planning his escape. He did not like to be tickled.

But really, who would've thought he would be under a cuddle pile on the floor on a Sunday morning? He twisted his head to meet Luke's eyes with a look of utter disbelief.

"What are we doing? I thought we were adults?"

Luke knocked their foreheads together with a chuckle and threw him a wink. "I don't know what you think we're doing, but we're just loving on you. Adults or not...you deserve some loving. Right, my loves?

"Yuh huh!" Freddie agreed, as Alejandra scrabbled for some space on Reid's chest so he could kiss his nose again, unprompted.

Reid scrunched his nose at the kiss, which in turn made Alejandra giggle harder, and in revenge he was unable to resist blowing a raspberry to her cheek. Another kiss to his cheek had Reid turn to look Luke's way, and honestly? There wasn't nothing else that needed to be said. If he could stay here, with all the people he loved forever loving on him like this, he'd be completely okay with it.

With a free arm, he pulled Luke closer with a happy sigh of his own, and nosed at his hairline to press a lingering kiss right there.

 

He hoped that was enough to tell Luke all he needed to know, and everything he already knew.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> My not so secret love for ice hockey crept into this fic if you couldn't tell, hah! If you have any ideas of what you'd like to read about next, please do not hesitate to let me know! And if you're reading this, thanks for reading! :) ♥


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